CM reviews PIMS sickness

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday chaired an emergency meeting to review the situation wherein the functioning of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) had come to a standstill due to a financial crisis.

The PIMS governing body, chaired by the chief minister, reviewed a communiqué of the PIMS Medical and Educational Charitable Society in which it assured the state government that all efforts were being made to bring the PIMS back on track, a spokesman here stated.

Giving an update, the Society headed by state cabinet minister Surjit Singh Rakhra stated in the letter that the electricity supply at PIMS was restored on January 2, 2014 and that three months' salaries were paid to the doctors and two months' salaries to the paramedics, nursing and the administrative staff on January 7, 2014; besides another one month's salary was also disbursed on January 9 to all the employees.

The remaining salaries would be disbursed on February 2, along with the January salary, it stated.Badal asked the steering committee headed by state chief secretary Rakesh Singh to closely monitor the developments and the Society's assurances to revive the PIMS.

It was also observed that the Baba Farid University of Medical Sciences vice chancellor had taken notice of the developments that included doctors calling off their strike. The university was also taking steps to bring back the medical students to the classes.

It was informed by the society members in the meeting that efforts were on to convince the paramedical staff to call off their strike.